Orange Juice Processing Line

What Our Orange Juice Processing Line Delivers

The line is an integrated, PLC-controlled processing system rather than a set of independent machines. Fruit enters as raw oranges, tangerines, lemons, limes or grapefruit and leaves as clarified or pulpy juice, concentrate, NFC juice and recovered essential oil. Because the cup extractor separates peel, seeds and juice in one operation, peel oil does not enter the juice stream, which keeps bitterness low and preserves the natural flavour profile.

• Two product routes: FCOJ concentrate filled into aseptic bags, or NFC juice filled aseptically or packed in gable-top, Tetra Pak, glass bottle and similar small formats.
• By-product recovery: peel oil is routed through its own disc separator train and recovered as a saleable essential oil.
• Flavour protection: low-temperature multi-effect vacuum concentration with aroma recovery, plus short-path, short-time heating to limit flavour loss.
• Automation: PLC control with SIEMENS, SCHNEIDER or equivalent international components for stable automatic running.

Process Flow, Stage by Stage

The sequence below is the standard configuration we build for citrus. Stages can be omitted or duplicated depending on whether the target is clear concentrate, cloudy NFC juice or a combined plant producing both.

Key Equipment in the Line

Each core machine is also supplied as a standalone unit, which suits processors who are expanding an existing plant or replacing a single bottleneck. The Orange/Citrus Juice Extractor uses an FMC-style cup structure so that juice is released without pressing oil from the peel into the stream. Downstream, the Falling Film Vacuum Evaporator handles concentration, and the Tube in Tube Sterilizer performs the final heat treatment before aseptic filling.

Specifications and Configuration Choices

Capacity is quoted on fresh fruit input, because that is the figure that determines receiving, washing and extraction sizing. Juice yield, Brix and pulp level then follow from the fruit and the product route. That is why buyers who approach Customized Orange Juice Production Line Manufacturers receive a layout built on their own operating point rather than a catalogue model. The table below summarises the parameters we confirm before issuing it.

Where the Line Fits in a Plant

Citrus lines sit alongside our other fruit and vegetable lines, and the same engineering logic carries across them. Processors who also handle Tomato Paste Processing Line or Mango Puree Processing Line production often share evaporation, sterilization and aseptic filling capacity across seasons, which improves utilisation of the most capital-intensive equipment.

• Single-product citrus plants: full line from receiving to aseptic bag, sized to the seasonal fruit supply.
• Multi-fruit plants: shared concentration and filling stages with changeover procedures between products.
• NFC-only operations: extraction, refining, separation and UHT sterilization without evaporation.
• Essential oil recovery: peel oil separation added to an existing extraction line.

Engineering, Quality Control and Acceptance

Our design principle is that equipment serves the process and the process serves the finished product. Piping and process flow are laid out so that temperature rises and drops happen over short distances and short times, limiting aroma loss during heat treatment. The sterilizer uses heat regeneration between incoming cold product and outgoing hot product, which reduces steam demand compared with a conventional arrangement.

Before shipment, every machine undergoes a full trial run and water debugging in our workshop so that mechanical and control performance is verified prior to site delivery. Installation and commissioning are carried out on site by our engineers, followed by operator training on running, changeover, cleaning and routine maintenance.

Installation, Utilities and Maintenance

A citrus line is utility-intensive: steam for evaporation and sterilization, chilled water for cooling, compressed air for valves and actuators, and electrical supply for the PLC panel and drives. We issue utility consumption figures with the layout so that building services and boiler capacity can be planned before equipment arrives.

• Layout: equipment arrangement, floor loading and clearance for maintenance access are agreed against the actual building.
• Wear parts: extractor cups, seals, screens and separator discs are identified in the spare parts list for stocking before the season starts.
• Seasonal support: pre-season inspection visits cover equipment condition, maintenance items and technology upgrades.
• Remote support: fault diagnosis and repair guidance are provided remotely, with on-site attendance where required.

Information We Use to Configure Your Solution

A workable proposal needs the operating point, not just a capacity figure. The items below let us size each stage, select the right extractor cups and separator configuration, and prepare a layout that matches the building.

• Fruit variety, average diameter, peel thickness and expected seasonal supply volume.
• Target product: FCOJ Brix, NFC specification, pulp level, and whether essential oil is a saleable output.
• Required fresh fruit throughput and daily operating hours.
• Packaging format and fill size, including aseptic bag or drum capacity.
• Site conditions: available floor area, ceiling height, steam and chilled water capacity, power supply.
• Investment budget and phasing plan, including any future expansion.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can one line produce both FCOJ concentrate and NFC juice?

Yes. The extraction, refining and separation stages are common to both products. For FCOJ the clarified juice passes through the multi-effect vacuum evaporator before sterilization; for NFC the evaporator is bypassed and the juice goes directly to UHT treatment and aseptic filling. We configure the valve routes and control sequence so the changeover is a defined procedure rather than a manual re-piping exercise.

What fruit capacity can Sunshine Machinery supply?

Our orange juice lines are quoted from 2 to 25 t/h of fresh fruit input. Across our fruit and vegetable processing range, project scales extend from laboratory and pilot units of 50–200 kg/h through mini lines of 200–1000 kg/h and medium plants of 1–5 t/h up to large industrial installations of 5–50 t/h. The right scale depends on your seasonal fruit volume and how many hours per day the plant will run.

How is bitterness controlled in the juice?

Bitterness in citrus juice comes mainly from peel oil entering the juice stream. Our cup-type extractor separates the fruit into juice and pulp, peel and seeds, and an oil-water emulsion at the point of extraction, so the oil is diverted to its own recovery train instead of contaminating the juice. The emulsion is then purified through disc separators to yield essential oil.

How is the line tested before delivery?

All equipment undergoes a complete trial operation and water debugging in our workshop before shipment, verifying mechanical operation, control logic and interlocks. Site acceptance then follows installation and commissioning, with our engineers present for the first production runs and operator training.

What support is available after commissioning?

Our engineers can remain on site for initial production after commissioning. We supply spare parts and accessories for the machines in the line, respond to on-site failures with remote diagnosis and repair guidance, and carry out annual pre-season visits for inspection, maintenance and technology upgrades.